Protecting Free Speech Across the Political Spectrum

June 29, 2015 by Chip Berlet

A Statement from the Board of the Defending Dissent Committee:

The justified public outcry over recent white supremacist murders and other violence against people of color should not be exploited to further erode the Bill of Rights and its protection of dissident ideas. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties have equal status. Just as we have protested the religious, ideological, and racial targeting of Muslims in America, we oppose similar objectionable targeting of white racists by government agencies. The use of language such as “Radicalization” and “Extremism” by the government has created the public impression that dissident ideas alone lead to violence. This is false. Investigations should never be based on ideas rather than actions and credible evidence of planned criminal actions.